Masonry Heaters

[jwilly3879]

Has anyone had issues with masonry heater installations? What to look out for?

 

[fatboy]

Haven't seen one, manufacturers spec's?

 

[conarb]

If you mean one of these I have one that I ordered from Finland but haven't installed it yet. All I know at this point is it cost me $26,000 with another $5,000 to install it, because of the weight the structural engineer designed a huge footing under it and their installer placed both inlet and outlet 8" air ducts in the forms to cast in the concrete.

 

[rogerpa]

Masonry heater clearance. Combustible materials shall not be placed within 36 inches (914 mm) of the outside surface of a masonry heater in accordance with NFPA 211-2006 chapter 12 § 12.6 (clearances for solid-fuel-burning appliances), and the required space between the heater and combustible material shall be fully vented to permit the free flow of air around all heater surfaces. You can read NFPA 211 here. http://www.nfpa.org/onlinepreview/online_preview_document.asp?id=21106#. You will need to create a free account.

 

[jeffc]

I've inspected one. IRC Section R1002 gives some good guidance. Provides for 4" clearance to combustibles if certain criterion is met. Be sure that adequate cleanouts are provided. Not for soot removal but for ash removal. These fireplaces burn hot for 1 to 2 hours every 18 hours. No turning down the air and letting the fire smolder. The fire warms the masonry and radiates the heat for hours long after the fire has burned out. The flue goes up, then down under the hearth and up the other side (yes, must be hard to get the initial draft started). The lady who built it had a scale model and literature from the Masonry Heater Association. She walked me through the whole construction process and had an educated answer to every question.

 

[rogerpa]

The problem with IRC Section R1002(.5) is that it references the wrong Chapter (Section[sic] 8-7) of NFPA 211. The correct Chapter is 12 as previously posted.